Open Forum

Hi All,
I am working with a small institution in the tropics that has collections of natural history and fossil specimens that they would like to formalize as a local natural history museum with exhibits etc. There is a university that could potentially act as a parent institution but it has serious financial issues and has its own neglected collections.
Are there resources to help them get started with cataloging, curating and sharing? Are there systems of accreditation that can help them link themselves to the larger community of museums? I know there is MAPS in the U.S. but not sure about international options.
Thank you

Perhaps the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections is who you are looking for? https://spnhc.org/

This international group is collections focused. My colleagues who work with our zoology collections participate in this organization. 

Personally, I just like the fact that the acronym seems to be pronounced "spinach".

Wendy

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Wendy Derjue-Holzer
Director of Education, HMNH
Harvard Museums of Science and Culture
Cambridge MA
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